Ogaki City's digital regional currency "Gaki Pay" has gone viral on Japanese social media due to its quirky name. Learn about Japan's innovative approach to combating inflation through digital local currencies, the story behind the unusual name, and how regional currencies are transforming local economies across the country.
Japan's beloved ikura (salmon roe) reaches record-breaking prices due to severe salmon shortages. Discover how climate change and declining catches in Hokkaido are transforming sushi restaurants and Japanese dining tables, and what this means for the future of Japanese cuisine.
Bankruptcies and closures among Japanese healthcare institutions hit record highs two years running. How suppressed fee schedules, rising costs, and staff shortages combined, and what the 3.09 percent fiscal 2026 revision changes.
On September 3, 2024, Japan's Ministry of the Environment declared the small Indian mongoose eradicated from Amami Oshima: 45 years after release, 24 years after control began, more than 30,000 animals caught and 3.6 billion yen spent. Two probability models, at 99.7 and 98.9 percent, settled the call.
At Toyosu Market's 2026 New Year auction, a purple sea urchin from Hakodate sold for a record 35 million yen, about 87,500 yen per gram, five times the previous year's top lot. The million-yen uni bowl, a 23-fold rise in two years, and why uni keeps getting pricier.
At Toyosu Market's 2026 New Year auction, a 243kg Oma bluefin sold for a record 510.3 million yen, about $3.2 million, to the Sushi Zanmai operator Kiyomura. What ichiban maguro means, how the ceremonial premium works, what the fisherman keeps, and where the stock stands.
Japan's government announced plans to raise visa fees for foreign nationals by approximately five times starting in fiscal year 2026. The move, part of the initial budget approved on December 26, 2025, aims to align fees with Western standards after remaining unchanged since 1978. The policy is expected to generate ¥120 billion in revenue while addressing overtourism concerns and rising administrative costs.
Learn about "Kani-Kani Scam," a rising telephone fraud in Japan where scammers impersonate Hokkaido seafood vendors to sell overpriced, low-quality crab via cash-on-delivery. Discover how to protect yourself from this growing threat.
Japan's JAMSTEC will conduct the world's first rare earth mud mining test from 6,000m deep ocean off Minamitorishima in January 2026. A historic project key to Japan's economic security strategy to reduce dependence on China for critical minerals.
Japan's Fair Trade Commission launches investigation into unauthorized use of news articles by AI search services. Major newspapers sue Perplexity for copyright infringement. Analysis of antitrust concerns and market dominance issues in generative AI industry.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry allocates approximately 300 billion yen for generative AI in its 2026 budget proposal. Supporting domestic AI development with 1 trillion yen over 5 years in partnership with private companies like SoftBank. Also advancing next-generation nuclear reactor development to strengthen Japan's industrial competitiveness.